Child-proof package

ABSTRACT

A package which can be torn open by a user, comprising a polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction and defining a cavity for a product, wherein the polymer film material incorporates a bias facilitating tearing along a tear line oriented in a direction other than its preferential tearing direction and a tear initiation location which facilitates tearing of the polymer film material in its preferential tearing direction to open the package, the tear line being adjacent to a tear initiation location. The polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction provides resistance against a child tearing open the package.

This invention relates to packaging, in particular to packaging which has a degree of resistance to being opened by a child.

Many products, especially pharmaceutical and other healthcare products such as tablets and capsules but also including household products such as detergents, are potentially hazardous if ingested or even merely handled by children. It has long been the desire of packaging manufacturers to address this problem by making packages for such products as child resistant as possible. Numerous solutions to this problem have been suggested. At the same time it is also desirable that such child-resistant packaging should be easily opened by those having handling difficulties, e.g. elderly people or those suffering from arthritis. Packages of this type are for example disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,567; U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,774 and WO-A-2007/07035.

Mono-axially oriented polymer films which can only easily be torn in one direction have long been known see for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,620. Typically such polymer films are based on polypropylene or polyethylene. A commercially available example of such a film is the polyolefin film material produced by the company Nowofol Kunstoffprodukte GmbH for example “Nowopaque”™. Other such materials are “Nowostraight”, a transparent film material available in thicknesses of 25-125 μm but preferably 40-50 μm, and “Nowopack” a white material available preferably in 45-60 μm including pigment. Both these latter two film materials are based on Polypropylene POPP and are copolymers of Polypropylene and ethylene with a melting point of approx 160° C.

Such films have been used in packaging, see for example EP-A-0226835. Such films have been used to provide child-resistance in packages. For example WO-A-00/05148 discloses a package for a detergent made of a mono-axially oriented polymer film which can only easily be torn in one direction and is constructed with a flat fold which needs to be first lifted to allow the pack to be torn open in the direction which the film allows, and which is not visually apparent to a child. The solution disclosed in WO-A-00/05148 results in a package with a complex construction and has limited applicability. WO-A-2011/01585684 and US-A-2013/0341237 disclose packages which use a tear-resistant or monoaxial-tearing film material and in which a tear-initiating notch is provided which is exposed by folding a flap portion of the package. There is consequently an ongoing problem of improving child-resistance in packaging and it is an object of this invention to address this problem.

According to this invention a package for containing a product and being able to be torn open by a user is provided, comprising a first layer comprising a polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction, in combination with a second layer comprising a second tearable material, to define a cavity for a product between the layers,

wherein the polymer film material incorporates a bias facilitating tearing of the polymer film material along a tear line oriented in a direction other than its preferential tearing direction,

wherein the polymer film material incorporates at least one tear initiation location which facilitates tearing of the polymer film material in its preferential tearing direction to thereby open the package for access to its product contents,

and wherein the said tear line is adjacent to a tear initiation location.

Although polymer film materials having a preferential tearing direction can be quite easily torn in their preferential tearing direction when tearing is initiated at a tear initiation location such as a notch in the edge of the film they can be relatively difficult to tear even in this direction, even impossible for a child (e.g. less than 5 years old) to tear, if there is no such tear initiation location to start a tear at. They can be very difficult to tear, even impossible for a child to tear, in directions other than the preferential tearing direction e.g. perpendicular to the preferential tearing direction, even if such tearing is initiated at a tear initiation location such as a notch in the edge of the film. Therefore in the package of the invention easy tearing of the polymer film material at the tear initiation location is made difficult for a child by the need to tear the package in the bias direction other than the preferential tearing direction of the polymer film.

The polymer film material is preferably a mono-axially oriented polymer film such as the material “Nowopaque™” available from Nowofol Kunstoffprodukte GmbH.

The first layer may be formed solely of the said polymer film material. Alternatively the first layer may comprise a laminate of the polymer film material together with a further tearable material. Such a further tearable material may for example enhance the barrier or other properties of the polymer film material, and/or may modify the tearing characteristics of the polymer film material, e.g. in its preferential tearing direction. Such a further tearable material may be provided as a cover over at least part of the polymer film material to help to conceal the tear initiation location from view, as a further preventative measure against opening of the package by children. Suitable further tearable materials include for example plastics material, metal foil, paper, card etc.

The amount of effort needed to tear the polymer film material along the tear line in a direction other than its preferential tearing direction can be determined and controlled by the bias. Preferably the amount of effort needed is controlled such that the polymer film material can be torn by an adult, even an adult with limited dexterity such as a senior adult, but not by a child.

The bias in the polymer film material may for example be provided by a line of weakness at least part way across the polymer film material, preferably all the way across e.g. from one edge of the package to an opposite edge. Such a line of weakness may for example be provided in various ways. In one way the polymer film material may be scored or cut wholly or partly through its thickness. In another way a line of perforations may be provided through the polymer film material. Such perforations may be elongated in the direction of the bias. The degree of cutting through the material, or the size, shape or disposition of the perforations, can be used to determine and control the amount of effort needed to tear the polymer film material in a direction other than its preferential tearing direction.

The further tearable material may be uniformly tearable in all directions, i.e. not having a preferential tearing direction. Alternatively a bias facilitating tearing may also be provided in the further tearable material in the direction of the bias in the polymer film material.

Preferably the direction other than the preferential tearing direction of the polymer film material in which the bias is oriented is a direction perpendicular to the preferential tearing direction. However in some shapes or constructions of the package the direction other than the preferential tearing direction of the polymer film material, in which the bias is oriented, may be non-perpendicular to the preferential tearing direction.

When the layer of polymer film material is torn along the tear line, the tear initiation location, being adjacent to the tear line, becomes exposed to tearing forces applied by the user at the tear line. The tear line may be positioned such that a portion of the package, for example including the polymer film material may be torn away from the remainder of the package to thereby create an edge of the package adjacent to the tear initiation location so that the polymer film material may be easily torn by a user along its preferential tearing direction starting at that edge.

The tear initiation location may be provided by a point of weakness in the polymer film material. Such a point of weakness may be provided in various ways. For example the polymer film material may be cut wholly or partly through its thickness. For example a perforation may be provided through the polymer film material. Such a perforation may be elongated in the preferential tearing direction. For example such a perforation may comprise a slit perforation through the polymer film material.

The tear initiation location is adjacent to tear line. For example the tear line may intersect the tear initiation location. Alternatively for example the tear initiation location may be separated from the tear line by a short distance of the polymer film material. This distance is preferably short enough that it is easy for a user to apply sufficient tearing force starting at the tear line to tear the polymer film material in its preferential tearing direction between the tear line and the tear initiation location.

The second tearable material may be uniformly tearable in all directions, i.e. not having a preferential tearing direction. The second tearable material may for example be a plastics material, a metal foil, card, or a laminate of two or more of such materials.

The second tearable material may for example comprise a polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction in the bias direction different to the preferential tearing direction of the polymer film of the first layer, for example perpendicular to the preferential tearing direction of the polymer film of the first layer. This can enhance tearing of the package material in the bias direction.

The second tearable material may for example incorporate one or more line of weakness to facilitate preferential tearing by a user along that line. For example such a line of weakness in the second tearable material may correspond to the direction of the bias in the polymer film material. Such a line of weakness may for example be provided in various ways. In one way the second tearable material may be cut wholly or partly through its thickness. In another way a line of perforations may be provided through the second tearable material. Such perforations may be elongated in the direction of the line of weakness. The degree of cutting through, or the size, shape or disposition of the perforations, can be used to determine and control the amount of effort needed to tear the second tearable material.

The package may for example be a sachet incorporating a cavity for a product between the first and second layers. In such a sachet preferably the bias is located adjacent to and preferably parallel to an edge of the sachet to provide a tear line facilitating tearing off of a strip of the sachet between the bias and the edge.

The package may for example be a blister pack, of otherwise conventional construction, in which the cavity for a product between the first and second layers comprises a blister cavity. For example the cover film closing the blister cavity may comprise the polymer film material. In such a blister pack the bias may be oriented across the blister pack to provide a tear line facilitating tearing across the blister pack. Alternatively in such a blister pack the bias may be located adjacent to and preferably parallel to an edge of the blister pack to provide a tear line facilitating tearing off of a strip of the sachet between the bias and the edge.

In these embodiments the sachet or blister pack may incorporate additional lines of weakness, for example positioned and/or oriented to facilitate tearing the sachet away from an adjacent sachet connected thereto by a web of sachet material, or to facilitate tearing individual blisters away from adjacent blisters. In a blister pack, for example such lines of weakness across the blister pack may be staggered so as to inhibit easy tearing of the blister pack completely across.

The package of this invention is suitable for containment of numerous types of product, which may be solid, gel or liquid, especially those which it would be undesirable for a child to gain access to. The package of the invention is particularly suited for the containment of cosmetic, healthcare and pharmaceutical products.

Examples of such products include pharmaceutical products in e.g. powdered or granular, encapsulated or tablet form, creams, ointments, toothpastes etc.

In a further aspect the present invention provides a package as described herein, when enclosing a product, e.g. a healthcare product, in its cavity.

The package of the invention operates as follows.

The user tears the package following the bias along the tear line oriented in a direction other than the preferential tearing direction of the polymer film material. By selection of suitable materials and a suitable construction as described above, this may be easy for an adult but may be beyond the ability of a child, so that a child cannot perform this tearing operation. The user tears the package in this way at least until the tear so initiated becomes adjacent to, e.g. intersects a tear initiation location. The user then tears the polymer film material starting at or adjacent to the tear initiation location along its preferential tearing direction to thereby open the package for access to its product contents.

The package of the invention may be made by otherwise conventional processes for package manufacture, and the above mentioned lines and points of weakness may be incorporated by for example conventional scoring, cutting and piercing operations.

Therefore in a further aspect of this invention there is provided a method of manufacture of a package for containing a product and which is able to be torn open by a user, the method comprising:

forming a cavity suitable for containment of a product between a first layer comprising a polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction and a second layer comprising a second tearable material;

incorporating a bias into the at least one layer of polymer film material facilitating tearing of the polymer film material along a tear line oriented in a direction other than its preferential tearing direction, and;

incorporating into the polymer film material, adjacent to the tear line, at least one tear initiation location which facilitates tearing of the polymer film material in its preferential tearing direction.

The bias may be incorporated into the at least one layer of polymer film material at any stage during this method.

In the method of this invention the package may be made using otherwise conventional techniques. For example the first and second layers may be connected to form a cavity between them using conventional lamination, welding, adhesive etc. techniques. The bias may be incorporated using conventional creasing, perforating etc. techniques. Similarly a tear initiation location can be introduced using conventional perforation techniques.

The invention will now be illustrated by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a package being a sachet.

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of a package being a blister pack.

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a package being another blister pack.

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of a package being another blister pack.

FIG. 5 shows a plan view of another package being a sachet.

Referring to FIG. 1, this shows overall 10 a package being a sachet of an overall rectangular shape. The package 10 comprises a first layer 11 comprising a polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction indicated by the arrow 12 and in the 180° opposite direction. This layer 11 is laminated around its perimeter at 13 to a second layer (not visible in FIG. 1 as being covered by layer 11) comprising a second tearable material e.g. a foil, card, polymer material or a laminate of such materials, to define a cavity 14 for a product between the layers.

The polymer film material in first layer 11 incorporates a bias facilitating tearing of the polymer film material along a tear line oriented in the direction of arrow 15, being a direction perpendicular to the preferential tearing direction 12. This bias is provided by a line 16 of perforations through the polymer film material in layer 11, and optionally through the underlying sachet material, and is aligned close to and parallel to edge 17 of the sachet 10. To facilitate such a bias, the second layer may incorporate a polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction indicated by the arrow 15 and in the 180° opposite direction.

The polymer film material in first layer 11 incorporates a tear initiation location which facilitates tearing of the polymer film material in its preferential tearing direction 12, provided by notch 18 being a perforation through the polymer film material of first layer 11 and the underlying material of the second layer. The notch 18 is triangular with its apex pointed in the direction 12, and the bias line 16 intersects the notch 18.

In use, the combined first 11 and second layers are torn by a user along the line 16, starting from either end of the line 16. By suitable dimensions of the perforations of bias line 16 this can be made to be easy for an adult user but to require more strength and ability than a small child can apply. This tears off a strip 19 of the sachet material between line 16 and edge 17, and exposes the notch 18 at the new edge along the line 16 so formed.

The polymer material in layer 11 can now be easily torn along the line 110 starting at notch 18 to thereby open the sachet 10 so that the contents of the cavity 14 can be accessed.

In a version of the sachet of FIG. 1 the second layer (not visible in FIG. 1 as being covered by layer 11) of a second tearable material may itself be a polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction indicated by the arrow 15, being preferentially tearable in the direction of the arrow 15 and in the 180° opposite direction, i.e. in a direction perpendicular to the preferential tearing direction 12 of the polymer film material in layer 11.

Referring to FIG. 2, this shows overall 20 a package being a blister pack. The package 20 comprises a first layer 21 comprising a polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction indicated by the arrow 22 and in the 180° opposite direction. This layer 21 is laminated to a second layer (not visible in FIG. 2 as being covered by layer 21) of a second tearable material e.g. a foil or foil/card laminate, to define blister cavities 23 for a product between the layers.

The first layer 21 incorporates a bias facilitating tearing of the polymer film material in layer 21 along a tear line 24 oriented in the direction of arrow 25, being a direction perpendicular to the preferential tearing direction 22. This bias is provided by a line 24 of perforations through the polymer film material and optionally through the underlying tearable material and aligned across the blister pack 20 between rows of the blister cavities 23.

The polymer film material in layer 21 incorporates plural tear initiation locations which facilitates tearing of the polymer film material in layer 21 in its preferential tearing direction 12, provided by plural notches 26 being perforations through the polymer material 21 and optionally through the underlying material. A notch 26 is located between pairs of blister cavities 23 on opposite sides of the bias line 24. Each notch 26 is diamond shaped with its opposite corners pointed in the direction 22, and the bias line 24 intersects each notch 26. The blister pack 20 is crossed by other lines of weakness 27, aligned in the direction 22, to facilitate tearing individual blister cavities 23 from adjacent blister cavities 23.

In use, the combined first and second layers are torn by a user along the line 24, starting from either end of the line 24 in the direction 25 or 180° thereto. By suitable dimensions of the bias line 24 this can be made to be easy for an adult user but to require more strength and ability than a small child can apply. The blister pack 20 may be torn as far as the line 27 enabling a single blister cavity 23 to be isolated. This exposes the notch 26 at the new edge along the line 24 so formed.

The polymer material in layer 21 and the second layer can now be easily torn along the line 28 starting at notch 26 to thereby open the blister cavity 23 so that the contents of the cavity 23 can be accessed.

Referring to FIG. 3, this shows overall 30 a package being a blister pack. The package 30 comprises a first layer 31 comprising a polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction indicated by the arrow 32 and in the 180° opposite direction. This layer 31 is laminated to a second layer (not visible in FIG. 3 as being covered by first layer 31) of a second tearable material e.g. a foil or foil/card laminate, to define blister cavities 33 for a product between the layers.

The polymer film material in layer 31 incorporates a bias facilitating tearing of the polymer film material along a tear line in the web of material between the blister cavities 33 oriented in the direction of arrow 34 and in the 180° opposite direction, being a direction perpendicular to the preferential tearing direction 32. This bias is provided by two lines 35 of perforations through the first layer 31 and optionally through the underlying second layer and aligned parallel to the opposite edges 36 of the blister pack 30.

The polymer film material in first layer 31 incorporates plural tear initiation locations which facilitates tearing of the polymer film material in layer 31 in its preferential tearing direction 32, provided by plural notches 37 each being a perforation through the polymer material 31 and optionally through the underlying material. A notch 37 is located adjacent each blister cavity 33. Each notch 37 is triangular with its apex pointed in the direction 32 or in the 180° opposite direction, and the bias line 35 intersects the notches 37. The blister pack 30 is crossed by other lines of weakness 38, aligned in the direction 32, to facilitate tearing individual, or pairs of, blister cavities 33 away from adjacent blister cavities 33.

In use, the combined first 31 and second layer are torn by a user along either of the lines 35, starting from either end of the line 35. By suitable dimensions of the bias line 35 this can be made to be easy for an adult user but to require more strength and ability than a small child can apply. This tears off a strip 39 of the polymer material 31 and the underlying material between line 35 and edge 36, and exposes the notch 37 at the new edge along the line 35 so formed.

The polymer material in layer 31 and underlying material can now be easily torn along the line 310 starting at notch 37 to thereby open the blister cavity 33 so that the contents of the cavity 33 can be accessed.

Referring to FIG. 4 this shows a plan view of a blister pack 40 of overall analogous construction to FIG. 3. However in FIG. 4 plural tear initiation locations are provided by perforations 41 through the polymer film of the first layer 31 and optionally through the underlying blister pack material. These perforations 41 (shown as circular but they could for example have the triangular or diamond shape of perforations 18 and 26) are separated from the lines 35 in the preferential tearing direction of the polymer film material by a small distance “d” of the polymer film material, e.g. 1-2 mm.

The blister pack 40 incorporates additional lines of weakness 42 to facilitate tearing individual blisters 33 from adjacent blisters. These lines of weakness 42 are staggered so as to inhibit easy tearing of the blister pack 40 completely across, and each line 42 ends at a line of weakness 38, aligned in the direction 32.

In use, the blister pack 40 may be torn along the line 42 as far as the line 38. This enables the blister pack to be then torn along a line 38 to thereby isolate an individual blister 33 surrounded by a portion of the web of blister pack material. A strip 39 of the blister pack material may then be torn off in a manner analogous to FIG. 3 to expose a notch 37. This causes the perforation 41 to be distanced from the new edge so formed along the line 35 by only the short distance “d” of the polymer film material. In spite of the resistance of the polymer film material in first layer 31 to tearing in its preferential tearing direction unless tearing is initiated at a tearing initiation location, this small distance “d” of polymer film material can relatively easily be torn along line 43 so that tearing of the polymer film material in the first layer 31 can be easily initiated at the perforation 41. As in the package of FIG. 3 the polymer material in layer 31 and underlying material can now be easily torn along the line 44 starting at perforation 41 to thereby open the blister cavity 33 so that the contents of the cavity 33 can be accessed.

Referring to FIG. 5, this shows overall 50 a package being a sachet of a triangular shape. The package 50 comprises a first layer 51 comprising a polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction indicated by the arrow 52 and in the 180° opposite direction. This first layer 51 is laminated around its perimeter at 53 to a second layer (not visible in FIG. 5 as being covered by layer 11) comprising a second tearable material e.g. a foil or foil/card laminate, to define a cavity 54 for a product between the layers.

The polymer film material in first layer 51 incorporates a bias facilitating tearing of the polymer film material along a tear line oriented in the direction of arrow 55, being a direction at ca. 60° to the preferential tearing direction 52, which is provided by a line 16 of perforations through the polymer film material in layer 51 and optionally through the underlying sachet material and is which is aligned close to and parallel to edge 57 of the sachet 50.

The polymer film material in first layer 51 incorporates a tear initiation location which facilitates tearing of the polymer film material in its preferential tearing direction 52, provided by notch 58 being a perforation through both the polymer material in layer 51 and the underlying material. The notch 58 is triangular with its apex pointed in the direction 52, and the bias line 56 intersects the notch 58.

In use, the combined first 51 and second layers are torn by a user along the line 56, starting from either end of the line 56. By suitable dimensions of the perforations of bias line 56 this can be made to be easy for an adult user but to require more strength and ability than a small child can apply. This tears off a strip 59 of the sachet material between line 56 and edge 57, and exposes the notch 58 at the new edge along the line 56 so formed.

The polymer material in first layer 51 can now be easily torn along the line 510 starting at notch 18 to thereby open the sachet 50 so that the contents of the cavity 54, e.g. a gel material, can be accessed.

Tearing of the polymer film material in first layer 11, 21, 31, 51 is very difficult, and can be impossible for a small child starting from any point other than the bias line 16, 24, 35 or 51, notch 18, 26 or 58 or perforation 41. This introduces a degree of child-resistance into the packages 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 whilst with a suitable selection of materials and the amount of bias provided by the lines 16, 24, 35, 56 the packages 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 can be opened by an adult, even an adult with handling difficulties. 

1. A package for containing a product and being able to be torn open by a user, comprising a first layer comprising a polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction, in combination with a second layer comprising a second tearable material, to define a cavity for a product between the layers, wherein the polymer film material incorporates a bias facilitating tearing of the polymer film material along a tear line oriented in a direction other than its preferential tearing direction, wherein the polymer film material incorporates at least one tear initiation location which facilitates tearing of the polymer film material in its preferential tearing direction to thereby open the package for access to its product contents, and wherein the said tear line is adjacent to a tear initiation location.
 2. A package according to claim 1 wherein the polymer film material is a mono-axially oriented polymer film.
 3. A package according to claim 1 wherein the first layer is formed solely of the polymer film material.
 4. A package according to claim 1 wherein the first layer comprises a laminate of the polymer film material together with a further tearable material.
 5. A package according to claim 1 wherein the bias in the polymer film material is provided by a line of weakness at least part way across the polymer film material.
 6. A package according to claim 5 wherein the line of weakness is provided by the polymer film material being scored or cut wholly or partly through its thickness or by a line of perforations provided through the polymer film material.
 7. A package according to claim 1 wherein the direction other than the preferential tearing direction of the polymer film material in which the bias is oriented, is a direction perpendicular to the preferential tearing direction.
 8. A package according to claim 1 wherein the tear line is positioned such that a portion of the package including the polymer film material may be torn away from the remainder of the package to thereby create an edge of the package adjacent to the tear initiation location so that the polymer film material may be easily torn by a user along its preferential tearing direction starting at that edge.
 9. A package according to claim 1 wherein the tear initiation location is provided by a point of weakness in the polymer film material.
 10. A package according to claim 9 wherein the point of weakness comprises the polymer film material being cut wholly or partly through its thickness.
 11. A package according to claim 1 wherein the tear line intersects the tear initiation location.
 12. A package according to claim 1 wherein the tear initiation location is separated from the tear line by a short distance of the polymer film material.
 13. A package according to claim 1 being a sachet incorporating a cavity for a product between the first and second layers.
 14. A package according to claim 13 wherein the bias is located adjacent to an edge of the sachet to provide a tear line facilitating tearing off of a strip of the sachet between the bias and the edge.
 15. A package according to claim 1 being a blister pack in which the cavity for a product between the first and second layers comprises a blister cavity.
 16. A package according to claim 15 wherein the cover film closing the blister cavity comprises the polymer film material.
 17. A package according to claim 1 wherein the bias is oriented across the blister pack to provide a tear line facilitating tearing across the blister pack.
 18. A package according to claim 1 wherein the bias is located adjacent to and preferably parallel to an edge of the blister pack to provide a tear line facilitating tearing off of a strip of the sachet between the bias and the edge.
 19. A package according to claim 1 wherein the sachet or blister pack incorporates additional lines of weakness positioned and/or oriented to facilitate tearing the sachet from an adjacent sachet connected thereto by a web of sachet material, or to facilitate tearing individual blisters from adjacent blisters.
 20. A method of manufacture of a package for containing a product and which is able to be torn open by a user, the method comprising: forming a cavity suitable for containment of a product between a first layer comprising a polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction and a second layer comprising a second tearable material; incorporating a bias into the at least one layer of polymer film material facilitating tearing of the polymer film material along a tear line oriented in a direction other than its preferential tearing direction, and; incorporating into the polymer film material, adjacent to the tear line, at least one tear initiation location which facilitates tearing of the polymer film material in its preferential tearing direction. 